Sports in Charlotte

[CharlotteWkndBuzz]

Big game!  @carolinaboy Good luck to yall today too against Norfolk St.  If we both win, we'll see each other tomorrow for Game 4.  Fingers crossed!

***Update*** LFG!

See you tomorrow, @carolinaboy

 

Edited June 5, 2021 by CharlotteWkndBuzz

[rancenc]

Not professional sports, but "sporty" water activities are available in the metro area!.

https://www.ourstate.com/your-place-to-play-charlotte-on-the-water/

[KJHburg]

Human cannon baller at Kannapolis Cannonballer game tonight

https://twitter.com/i/status/1411688973404192770

 

[jednc]

Maybe this has been posted elsewhere, but I didn't see it. It looks like a new invitational basketball tournament is coming to Charlotte for at least 3 years starting in 2022.

https://twitter.com/CLTSports/status/1413135791790780426?s=19

 

Edited July 8, 2021 by jednc

[KJHburg]

26 minutes ago, jednc said:

Maybe this has been posted elsewhere, but I didn't see it. It looks like a new invitational basketball tournament is coming to Charlotte for at least 3 years starting in 2022.

https://twitter.com/CLTSports/status/1413135791790780426?s=19

 

Here is the press release about it and it is indeed good news.

Charlotte Regional Business Alliance | Charlotte Sports Foundation and Jordan Brand to Host Jumpman Invitational Featuring Four of College Basketball's Top Men's and Women's Programs

[rancenc]

New swimming oriented franchise entering the Charlotte market.

https://www.franchising.com/news/20210714_british_swim_school_to_open_locations_in_charlotte.html

[Hushpuppy321]

Does anyone have any info or updates on how the first game for the Independence at Memorial Stadium went as far as attendance is concerned?

[tozmervo]

1 hour ago, Hushpuppy321 said:

Does anyone have any info or updates on how the first game for the Independence at Memorial Stadium went as far as attendance is concerned?

I was there. I'd guess between 3 and 4,000 based on capacity of 9k.

[CharlotteWkndBuzz]

ESPN announced that college game day will be at romare bearden park sept 4 for the Clemson vs Georgia game. Sept 2 is ECU vs App at BOA and on Friday, Duke is playing at Charlotte. This is a fantastic week for college football in Charlotte and the best thing to happen for Uptown and surrounding areas in awhile. Most hotels are completely booked that weekend. Check out the prices to the new guy on the block for that Saturday. Welcome to Charlotte, JW:

*on a side note: looks like it’s not going to be finished this month as planned. Website now says completed by august 17th. 

Edited July 21, 2021 by CharlotteWkndBuzz

[KJHburg]

29 minutes ago, CharlotteWkndBuzz said:

ESPN announced that college game day will be at romare bearden park sept 4 for the Clemson vs Georgia game. Sept 2 is ECU vs App at BOA and on Friday, Duke is playing at Charlotte. This is a fantastic week for college football in Charlotte and the best thing to happen for Uptown and surrounding areas in awhile. Most hotels are completely booked that weekend. Check out the prices to the new guy on the block for that Saturday. Welcome to Charlotte, JW:

*on a side note: looks like it’s not going to be finished this month as planned. Website now says completed by august 17th. 

Just check my Hilton family of hotels and every one of their Hilton properties in uptown is sold out except for the Embassy Suites and it is $687 a night sorry just read the fine print that is only available to elite HHonors members like me! (and I would not pay that I would drive in from Concord before I did that LOL)    So this college football weekend is a BOOM for uptown and the city in general as I see some sporadic sold out hotels in the burbs. 

But seems to plenty of rooms under $200 in the suburbs 

Edited July 21, 2021 by KJHburg

[carolinaboy]

13 hours ago, KJHburg said:

Just check my Hilton family of hotels and every one of their Hilton properties in uptown is sold out except for the Embassy Suites and it is $687 a night sorry just read the fine print that is only available to elite HHonors members like me! (and I would not pay that I would drive in from Concord before I did that LOL)    So this college football weekend is a BOOM for uptown and the city in general as I see some sporadic sold out hotels in the burbs. 

But seems to plenty of rooms under $200 in the suburbs 

Well KJ, I think both you and I would agree that the mighty Pirates of East Carolina University are the draw that weekend. I think there will be hundreds of thousands of happy Pirate fans in town (including me and the better half). Maybe a few Clemson or Georgia fans. A handful of Duke, Charlotte or App State fans maybe. But THERE WILL BE MILLIONS OF PIRATE FANS DESCENDING UPON THE QUEEN CITY. BE PREPARED CHARLOTTE!

[kermit]

Bear with me, my knowledge of Conference USA is lacking. 

Do any of yall UNCC athletics experts have thoughts on UNCC’s league membership changing if Texas and Oklahoma leave the Big “12”? I can imagine the bottom half of the Big 12 needing to find 7-9 new D1 teams with decent TV markets real quick. Cincinnati and UCF seem like easy choices, any chance Charlotte could (or would want to) wiggle into the reconstituted Big 12? The conference will certainly be the weakest member of the Power 5 if it survives.

[a2theb]

21 hours ago, carolinaboy said:

Well KJ, I think both you and I would agree that the mighty Pirates of East Carolina University are the draw that weekend. I think there will be hundreds of thousands of happy Pirate fans in town (including me and the better half). Maybe a few Clemson or Georgia fans. A handful of Duke, Charlotte or App State fans maybe. But THERE WILL BE MILLIONS OF PIRATE FANS DESCENDING UPON THE QUEEN CITY. BE PREPARED CHARLOTTE!

I don't think you Pirates fans will be very hAPPy after the game.

Pity it got bumped from Saturday but I'll take 2 great games in the QC any day. Who knows, maybe some Georgia and Clemson fans will wonder into the stands Thursday night to see some real football!

 

[carolinaboy]

9 hours ago, kermit said:

Bear with me, my knowledge of Conference USA is lacking. 

Do any of yall UNCC athletics experts have thoughts on UNCC’s league membership changing if Texas and Oklahoma leave the Big “12”? I can imagine the bottom half of the Big 12 needing to find 7-9 new D1 teams with decent TV markets real quick. Cincinnati and UCF seem like easy choices, any chance Charlotte could (or would want to) wiggle into the reconstituted Big 12? The conference will certainly be the weakest member of the Power 5 if it survives.

I can't see Texas and Oklahoma *really* leaving the Big12. The SEC probably wouldn't allow Texas to keep the Longhorn Network. Why would Texas and Oklahoma want to play third, fourth or fifth fiddle to Alabama, LSU, Georgia every year? It is much easier for them to be the champion in the Big 12 rather than the SEC. But money talks so who knows.

 

As far as Charlotte, baring a move up to the American (AAC) the best thing would be for CUSA and the Sun Belt to break-up and form new conferences.  I would think a good football, basketball, baseball, etc conference that is more regional based for Charlotte would be great:

Marshall (football, current NCAA men's soccer champion)

Old Dominion (men's and women's basketball history, sizeable market, baseball success this year, nice facilities)

Charlotte (basketball history, market, facilities, fast growing school, baseball pretty darn good) Need to expand that football stadium soon though.

Appalachian State (football power house, huge fan support)

Georgia State (Atlanta, basketball)

Middle Tennessee State (reasonable football and basketball, Nashville area)

Western Kentucky (potentially really good basketball)

UAB (basketball, new football stadium, Birmingham market)

Southern Miss (traditional football Goliath beater, respectable basketball history, good baseball)

Louisiana Tech (mens and womens basketball tradition, good football, good baseball this year)

Louisiana Lafayette (recent NC in baseball, good football and fan support)

Liberty (Money, great facilities, football bowl appearance this year, NCAA basketball tournament team, NCAA baseball tournament team)

42 minutes ago, a2theb said:

I don't think you Pirates fans will be very hAPPy after the game.

Pity it got bumped from Saturday but I'll take 2 great games in the QC any day. Who knows, maybe some Georgia and Clemson fans will wonder into the stands Thursday night to see some real football!

 

Don't forget Charlotte hosts Duke on Friday. 3 games over Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I am going to 2 of them.

[CharlotteWkndBuzz]

4 hours ago, carolinaboy said:

As far as Charlotte, baring a move up to the American (AAC) the best thing would be for CUSA and the Sun Belt to break-up and form new conferences.  I would think a good football, basketball, baseball, etc conference that is more regional based for Charlotte would be great:

Totally agree.  A regionally based culmination of both conferences would not only pack the stands and reduce travel expenses...it just makes too much sense (prob why it wont happen lol).  I am not a big fan of C-USA, however, at the same time, we aren't exactly at the top of the league either in the revenue sports (in terms of wins).  Gotta start winning if we want to be in any conference realignment talks in the future.  Facilities will be upgraded soon (part of the Athletics master plan).  AAC would definitely be a nice invitation but I worry by the time Charlotte gets there, the bulk of the attractiveness leaves for greener pastures (Houston, Cincy, UCF, etc).  With the implementation of NIL...college football is just increasing the amount of disparity which just elevates the gap between the haves and have nots.  For long term success, revamp the playoff system (underway) and create regional based conferences to create fan interest/rivalries and save tremendous amounts of money on travel.  

[eastsider]

On 7/22/2021 at 12:38 AM, kermit said:

Bear with me, my knowledge of Conference USA is lacking. 

Do any of yall UNCC athletics experts have thoughts on UNCC’s league membership changing if Texas and Oklahoma leave the Big “12”? I can imagine the bottom half of the Big 12 needing to find 7-9 new D1 teams with decent TV markets real quick. Cincinnati and UCF seem like easy choices, any chance Charlotte could (or would want to) wiggle into the reconstituted Big 12? The conference will certainly be the weakest member of the Power 5 if it survives.

If Texas and Oklahoma leave the Big 12 will be dead, the other power 4 conferences will pick off the remaining teams that they want. The Big 10 will also probably make another attempt at picking off some ACC schools. Sooner or later all those schools will go off on their own and leave the NCAA in the dust.

[HopHead]

Texas and Oklahoma are gone from the Big 12 IMO... The cat is already out of the bag on this one. And yes, that will mean the end of the Big 12 as well. Their two flagship schools leaving meaning there is no way for it to remain. I suspect you will see the other remaining P5 conferences poach the other schools. It will become four super conferences: SEC, ACC, B10 and PAC12. 

[DMann]

Not Charlotte, but how about the Cleveland Guardians????????

[SouthEndCLT811]

17 minutes ago, DMann said:

Not Charlotte, but how about the Cleveland Guardians????????

Not everyone will love it but coming from Cleveland originally I get it and appreciate the meaning behind it.  The Guardians are sculptures that are part of the Hope Memorial Bridge just outside of the baseball stadium.  

[#1Son]

@SouthEndCLT811 Thanks for that tidbit. Driven over the Cuyahoga using the Innerbelt, Shoreway and Detroit Ave tons of times but never across the Hope bridge. 

[kermit]

So it looks like the Big 12 has imploded. Academics aside, I think adding WVU to the ACC would be a big plus for football. Ignoring the geography problem, Kansas would make an excellent addition to the ACC as well.

How come ECU never gets a role in realignment discussions? Is their TV market that bad? I would genuinely love to see a league that included App, ECU and UNCC.

I am excited to see how this plays out and I can’t wait to watch the Longhorns get repeatedly humiliated in the SEC. However, as a UGA fan, I am not looking forward to OU being in the league.

Edited July 23, 2021 by kermit

[rancenc]

Could this be the next big sporting concept in the Q City?????

https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/new-adult-mini-golf-concept-open-charlotte/FKJZWGVYRZCUVJK6BFXPFQEUWA/

[carolinaboy]

On 7/23/2021 at 3:33 PM, kermit said:

So it looks like the Big 12 has imploded. Academics aside, I think adding WVU to the ACC would be a big plus for football. Ignoring the geography problem, Kansas would make an excellent addition to the ACC as well.

How come ECU never gets a role in realignment discussions? Is their TV market that bad? I would genuinely love to see a league that included App, ECU and UNCC.

I am excited to see how this plays out and I can’t wait to watch the Longhorns get repeatedly humiliated in the SEC. However, as a UGA fan, I am not looking forward to OU being in the league.

How come ECU never gets a role in realignment discussions? Is their TV market that bad? I would genuinely love to see a league that included App, ECU and UNCC.

 

ECU was part of the most recent realignment when they got invited to the AAC from C-USA. They along with Tulsa, Tulane and Wichita State (olympic sports) were the last additions to the American. The AAC is far above what C-USA was/is in every respect.

The Greenville TV market floats around 100. It is actually a much bigger market than some of the markets with schools (i.e. Tuscaloosa, Tallahassee, Oxford, Charlottesville, etc). The problem is ECU is *seen* as a regional school whereas some of the smaller markets have Alabama, Florida State, Virginia, etc, all flagships or very high academics and/or sports tradition.

Who knows, as the next realignment happens ECU, Charlotte and App may all end up together in an athletic conference. At this point I will still root for (and contribute financially to) ECU no matter what happens. And since my daughter will be attending Charlotte soon, I'll have to send a little their way.

[CharlotteWkndBuzz]

College sports as we know it are done...This whole shakeup is going to have a massive trickle down effect.  It's the powerful, almighty SEC and then there's everyone else.  It makes too much sense for G5 schools to create regional based conferences... (that's why it prob won't happen lol).  ESPN is a bunch of crooks too btw...they are just as money hungry and conniving as any of them. 

Edited July 29, 2021 by CharlotteWkndBuzz

[Hushpuppy321]

I just finished watching the Music City Grand Prix hosted in Downtown Nashville and it was the coolest thing.  I am jealous though - why can’t Charlotte/NASCAR do something like this?